I felt like a man again today. Partly I’m sure, because I did something I haven’t done in quite some time….I bought a new trowel. Any real tradesman who has purchased a few trowels in his life knows of what I speak for a masonry trowel is a symbol of life in a mans world. A world of hard core days in the sun in the company of those that are able. And I have missed that so very much….
I had taken a pussy job at a big box hardware store four years past as it would appear my age was beyond those free wheeling trowel swinging days. But as I’ve done a hundred times or more I quit that job and found myself once again standing in front of a wall as I have literally thousands of times before. Long before days end I was lusting for a better trowel to use to finish the stucco repair job I had contracted…..
Days end found me at the big box where I was once employed eyeing and discarding trowel after trowel as a poor young guy behind me paced to and fro. Just as I made my choice he manned up and said….
” Jesus man… they’re all the friggin same ain’t they ?”
And so I took time to impart some thirty five years of expeience and explain him that no….
” All those spot welds on the bottom are a mark of an inferior trowel, you should be looking for a perfectly smooth finish side.”
” But they all got spot welds on the bottom for Chrissake” he informed me as he tossed one after the other back in the box.
” All except this one ” I informed holding up the one in my hand…..
“All except this one”
